Shiftable cable support

ABSTRACT

A supporting means for a plurality of electrical conductors having their ends secured to articles which are movable relative to each other. A metal channel houses the conductors and is coupled to each article by a sliding mounting. Each mounting includes three brackets and a plurality of plastic coverings, secured to the brackets, for making sliding contact with the outside surfaces of the channel.

United States Patent [191 Swart SHIFTABLE CABLE SUPPORT [75] Inventor:Gary M. Swart, Lincroft, NJ.

[73] Assignee: Estey Corporation, Red Bank, NJ.

[22] Filed: Oct. 19, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 399,707

[52] US. Cl. 248/49, 174/68 C, 248/52,

248/55 [51] Int. Cl. F161 3/02 [58] Field of Search 248/49, 51, 52,55,58,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 955,045 4/1910 Blair 248/53X 1,189,018 6/1916 Turner.... 248/53 2,667,323 1/1954 Mason 248/2983,075,732 l/1963 Lindenmeyer 248/49 3,298,644 1/1967 Sherburne 248/553,448,346 6/1969 Webb 317/122 Mar. 11, 1975 3,575,298 4/1971 Ruoss211/15 3,710,199 1/1973 Cignoni 317/122 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS174,976 4/1961 Sweden 248/55 938,381 9/1948 France 1,204,337 9/1970Great Britain 211/1.5

Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Rodney H. BonckAttorney, Agent, or Firm-James M. Hellman; Anthony J. Casella [57]ABSTRACT A supporting means for a plurality of electrical conductorshaving their ends secured to articles which are movable relative to eachother. A metal channel houses the conductors and is coupled to eacharticle by a sliding mounting. Each mqunting includes three brackets anda plurality of plastic coverings, secured to the brackets, for makingsliding contact with the outside surfaces of the channel.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 1 SHIFTABLE CABLE SUPPORT BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The supporting means described herein is designed to be usedon the top of a series of storage stacks which are movable along acommon track to provide access to persons who desire to inspect orremove material stored in the stacks. Such an array of storage stacksare well known.

In that arrangement, andin many other similar arrays, it is necessary toprovide conductive wires between units to control their motion, thelighting, and other control components. An overhead support, using ametal channel for housing the wires, is well suited to the requirementssince it protects the wires, is out of the way from people passing underit, and requires no power for its operation. The channel slides inbrackets placed on top of the units and has been found superior in manyways to a freely draped cable or a cable supported in a resilient mannerto be lifted above the units when they are brought together.

One feature of the invention is the electrical coupling of control unitsin the storage means while providing full mechanical protection of thewires and their connecting components.

Another feature of the invention is the method of joining stack unitswhile preventing interference from personnel.

Still another feature of the invention is the resistance free mountingmeans which permits the channels to slide easily and without noise intheir mounting means.

SUMMARY The invention includes two mounting means, one on each articleand a metal tube or channel for housing electrical conductors supportedby the mounting means. The mounting means each include brackets andbearings arranged for sliding contact with the outside surface of thechannel. A limit means is secured to each end of the channel to preventits pulling away from the mounting and a bar is secured above thechannel to prevent its lifting out of the mounting means.

Additional details of the invention will be disclosed in the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a top view of the articlesbeing connected by the cable. A plurality of shiftable supports areshown in plan view together with electrical junction boxes for conductortermination.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of one of the supporting means.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the supporting means of FIG. 2,taken along line 3-3 of that figure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the figures,six storage stacks are shown in FIG. 1 with an aisle space betweenstacks 10B and 10C. All the stacks except 10A and 10F are shiftable onrails to provide aisle space between any two adjacent stacks by motivemeans under control of an operator. A first set of connecting conductors11 between stacks are supported in metal channels 12 which slide inmounting means 13 provided at the upper edge of the stacks. Theseconnecting conductors 11 are terminated at junction 14 wherecross-connections and relays may be positioned. A second set ofconductors 15 run from the junctions 14 to switching means 16 at theside edge of the stacks 10. These junctions 14 connect to push buttonson the front sides of the stacks and also to power motors housed in thebases of the stacks. Further details regarding the control circuit canbe found in the above mentioned patent application.

Details of the channel mountings 13 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, wherebrackets 20 are secured to the top panel 21 of the stack. Brackets 20are bolted to the top panel and a plastic cover 23 is slipped over theupper edge to form a bearing for the channel 12. The plastic cover maybe made of a material such as 'polytetrafluoroethylene (includingTeflon, trademark of DuPont & Co.), phenolic condensate resin (includingBakelite. trademark of Union Carbide Co.), nylon, or polyethylene whichhas a low coefficient of friction with metal. Similar plastic covers 22are placed over the edges of side bars 25 to restrain the channel fromside horizontal movement. Brackets 20 may be secured to the top panel 21by bolts as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 or they may be welded to insure amore permanent structure.

A limit means is added to the cable support to insure that the channel12 will not pull out of one of the mountings. The limit means may takemany forms, the one shown in FIG. 2 is simple and effective. Bracket 20is made with a turned up portion 20A and an angle iron 24 is bolted toeach end of the channel 12. When the stacks 10B and 10C are separated bythe full amount to provide a wide aisle, both limit means will be in theposition indicated in FIG. 2.

To insure that the channel 12 will not move above the position shown, arestraining bar 25 is mounted on the edge of the stacks with a slot forpassage of the channel 12. The bar 25 is formed with a turned overportion 25A which effectively limits the upward motion of channel 12.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed, are defined as follows:

1. A cable support for positioning electrical conductors connected toarticles which are movable with respect to each other comprising: achannel for housing the conductors; said channel including closed sidesand a closed bottom and an open top for the insertion of saidconductors; mounting means for the channel on each of the articles forslidably supporting the channel when either one of the articles ismoved; said mounting means including bracket means secured to thearticles and having an opening which is aligned with the open top ofsaid channel permitting the insertion of conduc tors and a plurality ofplastic bearing covers held by the bracketmeans and arranged for slidingcontact with the channel sides and bottom.

2. A support according to claim 1 wherein a limit member is secured toeach end of the channel to prevent the channel from disengagement withthe mounting means.

3; A support according to claim 1 wherein said channel is made of metal.

4. A support according to claim 1 wherein the bearing covers are made ofa phenolic condensate resin.

5. A support according to claim 1 wherein the bearing covers are made ofnylon.

6. A support according to claim 1 wherein the bearing covers are made ofpolytetrafluoroethylene.

3,870,260 V 3 4 7. A support according to claim lwherein restraining 8.A. support according to claim 1 wherein said means are mounted above thechannel on each article mounting means is secured to the top surface ofa storfor preventing the channel from detachment from the age means.

mounting means.

1. A cable support for positioning electrical conductors connected toarticles which are movable with respect to each other comprising: achannel for housing the conductors; said channel including closed sidesand a closed bottom and an open top for the insertion of saidconductors; mounting means for the channel on each of the articles forslidably supporting the channel when either one of the articles ismoved; said mounting means including bracket means secured to thearticles and having an opening which is aligned with the open top ofsaid channel permitting the insertion of conductors and a plurality ofplastic bearing covers held by the bracket means and arranged forsliding contact with the channel sides and bottom.
 1. A cable supportfor positioning electrical conductors connected to articles which aremovable with respect to each other comprising: a channel for housing theconductors; said channel including closed sides and a closed bottom andan open top for the insertion of said conductors; mounting means for thechannel on each of the articles for slidably supporting the channel wheneither one of the articles is moved; said mounting means includingbracket means secured to the articles and having an opening which isaligned with the open top of said channel permitting the insertion ofconductors and a plurality of plastic bearing covers held by the bracketmeans and arranged for sliding contact with the channel sides andbottom.
 2. A support according to claim 1 wherein a limit member issecured to each end of the channel to prevent the channel fromdisengagement with the mounting means.
 3. A support according to claim 1wherein said channel is made of metal.
 4. A support according to claim 1wherein the bearing covers are made of a phenolic condensate resin.
 5. Asupport according to claim 1 wherein the bearing covers are made ofnylon.
 6. A support according to claim 1 wherein the bearing covers aremade of polytetrafluoroethylene.
 7. A support according to claim 1wherein restraining means are mounted above the channel on each articlefor preventing the channel from detachment from the mounting means.